Mark Andrew Kelly
Encyclopedia
Major General
Mark Andrew Kelly AO, DSC
is a former senior officer in the Australian Army
. He served as Commander Joint Task Force 633 (CJTF 633) commanding all Australian Forces in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) and Afghanistan from 12 January 2009 until 14 January 2010 and as Land Commander Australia (LCAUST) from July 2005 to December 2008. He was appointed as the Repatriation Commissioner on 1 July 2010.
, New South Wales
, and educated at James Ruse Agricultural High School
.
in January 1975, and he graduated in December,1978 and received the Sword of Honour. In the same year, Kelly received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of New South Wales
.
Allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps
he was posted to the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
. Kelly's first operational posting occurred when he served with the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in Rhodesia
during the Independence elections in 1979/80. Kelly served as the exchange instructor at the British Army's School of Infantry
at Warminster between September 1985 and November 1987. He attended the Australian Army Command and Staff College in 1990 and served as the Brigade Major of 3rd Brigade from January 1991 until December 1992. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
in January 1993 and served in staff appointments in Army Headquarters until December 1995. He also completed a Master of Arts
in Defence Studies from the University of New South Wales
in 1995.
Between December 1995 and December 1997, Kelly was Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
. He then moved on promotion to Colonel
to Headquarters 1st Division and the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters as the Chief of Staff, a posting that involved deploying the headquarters to East Timor
for Operation Stabilise, where he served as the Chief of Staff for INTERFET
. Kelly was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day
Honour's List of 2000 for his "exceptional service" as CO 1 RAR and COFS 1st Division. He attended the Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at the Australian Defence College
in Canberra in 2000.
Kelly was promoted to Brigadier
, and appointed to command the 3rd Brigade from December 2000 until December 2002. He was then posted to Headquarters United States Central Command
in Tampa, Florida
, serving as the first Director of the Combined Planning Group, planning operations in Afghanistan
, the Horn of Africa
and Iraq
. He was appointed an Officer of the United States Legion of Merit
for his exceptional service in this position.
Kelly was promoted to Major General
and assumed command of the 1st Division
and Deployable Joint Force Headquarters on 5 July 2004. He then assumed the appointment of Land Commander Australia on 15 July 2005 and served in that role until December 2008. In the Australia Day Honour's List of 2008, Kelly was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia "for distinguished service to the Australian Army in the fields of training, personnel and operations, in particular as the Commander of the 1st Division and as the Land Commander Australia."
In an official ceremony on 12 January 2009, Kelly succeeded Major General Mike Hindmarsh
as Commander Joint Task Force 633, in this position he commanded all Australian forces in the Middle East Area of Operations and Afghanistan for 12 months. He relinquished command of JTF 633 to Major General John Cantwell on 14 January 2010. Kelly was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
in the 2011 Australia Day Honours List for his "distinguished leadership, exceptional professionalism and unwavering dedication in an extremely ambiguous and dangerous operational environment" as Commander Joint Task Force 633. Kelly was transferred to the Army's Standby Reserve on 5 June 2010.
On 1 July 2010, Kelly assumed the appointment of Repatriation Commissioner, the Service's Member on the Repatriation Commission and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission that supports the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in delivering compensation, health care and support to current and former service personnel, widows and dependants.
Kelly was appointed as the Colonel Commandant
of the Royal Australian Regiment
on 1 July 2011.
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Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
Mark Andrew Kelly AO, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System...
is a former senior officer in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. He served as Commander Joint Task Force 633 (CJTF 633) commanding all Australian Forces in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) and Afghanistan from 12 January 2009 until 14 January 2010 and as Land Commander Australia (LCAUST) from July 2005 to December 2008. He was appointed as the Repatriation Commissioner on 1 July 2010.
Early life
Mark Andrew Kelly was born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and educated at James Ruse Agricultural High School
James Ruse Agricultural High School
James Ruse Agricultural High School is one of four New South Wales Government agricultural high schools. It is a selective, co-educational public high school located at Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Service history
Kelly entered the Royal Military College, DuntroonRoyal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
in January 1975, and he graduated in December,1978 and received the Sword of Honour. In the same year, Kelly received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps
Royal Australian Infantry Corps
The Royal Australian Infantry Corps is the parent corps for all infantry regiments of the Australian Army. It was established on 14 December 1948, with its Royal Corps status being conferred by His Majesty King George VI. At her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II became Colonel-in-Chief of the...
he was posted to the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion was based at Robertson Barracks in Palmerston, Northern Territory and formed part of the 1st Brigade. It was formed in 1973 by linking both the 5th and 7th Battalions of the...
. Kelly's first operational posting occurred when he served with the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
during the Independence elections in 1979/80. Kelly served as the exchange instructor at the British Army's School of Infantry
School of Infantry
A School of Infantry provides training in weapons and infantry tactics to infantrymen of a nation's military forces.Schools of infantry include: Australia*Australian Army - School of Infantry, Lone Pine Barracks at Singleton, NSW. France...
at Warminster between September 1985 and November 1987. He attended the Australian Army Command and Staff College in 1990 and served as the Brigade Major of 3rd Brigade from January 1991 until December 1992. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in January 1993 and served in staff appointments in Army Headquarters until December 1995. He also completed a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Defence Studies from the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in 1995.
Between December 1995 and December 1997, Kelly was Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion in 1945 and since then has been deployed on active service during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War...
. He then moved on promotion to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
to Headquarters 1st Division and the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters as the Chief of Staff, a posting that involved deploying the headquarters to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
for Operation Stabilise, where he served as the Chief of Staff for INTERFET
INTERFET
The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
. Kelly was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Honour's List of 2000 for his "exceptional service" as CO 1 RAR and COFS 1st Division. He attended the Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at the Australian Defence College
Australian Defence College
The Australian Defence College comprises three tri-service educational organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:* the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies ,...
in Canberra in 2000.
Kelly was promoted to Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
, and appointed to command the 3rd Brigade from December 2000 until December 2002. He was then posted to Headquarters United States Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, serving as the first Director of the Combined Planning Group, planning operations in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He was appointed an Officer of the United States Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
for his exceptional service in this position.
Kelly was promoted to Major General
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
and assumed command of the 1st Division
1st Division (Australia)
The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane...
and Deployable Joint Force Headquarters on 5 July 2004. He then assumed the appointment of Land Commander Australia on 15 July 2005 and served in that role until December 2008. In the Australia Day Honour's List of 2008, Kelly was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia "for distinguished service to the Australian Army in the fields of training, personnel and operations, in particular as the Commander of the 1st Division and as the Land Commander Australia."
In an official ceremony on 12 January 2009, Kelly succeeded Major General Mike Hindmarsh
Mike Hindmarsh
Major General Michael Simon "Mike" Hindmarsh AO, DSC, CSC was a senior officer in the Australian Army. Hindmarsh served as Special Operations Commander Australia from 2004 to 2008, and Commander of Australian Forces in the Middle East Area of Operations from March 2008 to January 2009.-Military...
as Commander Joint Task Force 633, in this position he commanded all Australian forces in the Middle East Area of Operations and Afghanistan for 12 months. He relinquished command of JTF 633 to Major General John Cantwell on 14 January 2010. Kelly was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System...
in the 2011 Australia Day Honours List for his "distinguished leadership, exceptional professionalism and unwavering dedication in an extremely ambiguous and dangerous operational environment" as Commander Joint Task Force 633. Kelly was transferred to the Army's Standby Reserve on 5 June 2010.
On 1 July 2010, Kelly assumed the appointment of Repatriation Commissioner, the Service's Member on the Repatriation Commission and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission that supports the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in delivering compensation, health care and support to current and former service personnel, widows and dependants.
Kelly was appointed as the Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the Royal Australian Regiment
Royal Australian Regiment
The Royal Australian Regiment is the parent regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps...
on 1 July 2011.
Academic qualifications
- 1978 Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(UNSWUniversity of New South WalesThe University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
) - 1978 Graduate of the Royal Military College, DuntroonRoyal Military College, DuntroonThe Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
- 1990 Graduate Diploma in Defence Studies (Deakin UniversityDeakin UniversityDeakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
) - 1990 Graduate of the Australian Army Command and Staff College, Queenscliff
- 1995 Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Defence Studies (UNSW) - 2000 Fellow of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at the Australian Defence CollegeAustralian Defence CollegeThe Australian Defence College comprises three tri-service educational organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:* the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies ,...
in Canberra
Personal
Kelly is married to Gabrielle and they have a son, Christopher. He enjoys reading, listening to music and he enjoys all sports, especially Rugby and Golf.Honours and Awards
| |
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) | 26 January 2008 |
| Member of the Order of Australia (AM) | 26 January 2000 | |
| Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System... (DSC) |
26 January 2011 | |
| |
Australian Active Service Medal Australian Active Service Medal The Australian Active Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations... |
with 3 clasps EAST TIMOR, ICAT and IRAQ 2003 |
| |
International Force East Timor Medal International Force East Timor Medal The International Force East Timor Medal recognises members of the Australian Defence Force who served for 30 days in East Timor during the INTERFET campaign... |
2001 |
| |
Afghanistan Medal Afghanistan Medal (Australia) The Afghanistan Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Afghanistan Medal is awarded to Australian defence force personnel who served in or around Afghanistan after 11 October 2001... |
2009 |
| |
Iraq Medal Iraq Medal (Australia) The Iraq Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Iraq Medal is awarded to Australian Defence Force personnel who served in or around Iraq after 18 March 2003... |
2007 |
| Rhodesia Medal Rhodesia Medal The Rhodesia Medal was initiated by the British Government in consultation with Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Kenya, whose forces took part in Operation AGILA,... |
1981 | |
| |
Defence Force Service Medal Defence Force Service Medal The Defence Force Service Medal is an Australian Military award given for long service by permanent members of the Australian Defence Force... with 4 Clasps |
35 Years of Service |
| |
Australian Defence Medal Australian Defence Medal The Australian Defence Medal is an Australian military decoration which recognises current and former Australian Defence Force personnel who completed an initial enlistment period, or four years service... |
2006 |
| |
Zimbabwean Independence Medal | 1980 |
| |
NATO ISAF International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement... Medal (Afghanistan) |
2009 |
| US Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements... |
Officer in the US Legion of Merit 2004 |
External links
- Official photo (copyright)
- Officer of the Order of Australia Investure Ceremony, 9 May 2008, Government House, Sydney. (Pictured with his brother, wife and son.)
- Officer of the Order of Australia Investure Ceremony, 9 May 2008, Government House, Sydney. (Pictured with the Governor of NSW and his wife and son.)
